Luella puts on her Monday best at London Fashion Week

But much as the heavens threaten rain, so was there a dark underbelly to Bartley's clothes - or so she claimed backstage.

"These are proper English ladies, but with dark undertones. There's a mismatched element to the clothes, and a psychedelic feel to the colours. It's as though they're dressed up in their church Sunday best, but all is not quite as it seems."

If Bartley's last collection was all about paganism and witchcraft, there was a wholesome, Christian feel to these "Sunday best" outfits.

Neat tweed jackets were finished off with girlish frills at the shoulder and wrist, then toughened up by an oversized zippered breast pocket. They were worn with above-thekneeflirty skirts, some tulip shaped in stiff satin, others festooned in frills. The sting in the tail was the colours, which never veered far from psychedelic orange, purple, lilac and fuchsia. It was a bit like going to Ascot on acid.

There was a hint of a young Princess Margaret in the accessories: handbags were framed and ladylike, in pale lilac or pink leather with a bow on the handle.

Shoes came in purple leather with orange hearts, worn with equally bright tights. Every outfit was styled with neat gloves and delicate hats draped with mesh veils. Bartley does many things well - particularly tailoring - but it is her punky brand of prom dress which has won over the red carpet stars who can catapult a brand to international success.

Kate Bosworth, Chloe Sevigny, Peaches Geldof, Lily Allen, Jaime Winston and Alexa Chung will no doubt be itching to get their claws on the ultra-bright dresses next spring.

Key looks included a strapless peplum-waisted cocktail dress in an orange daisy print, and a pink prom dress with ruched silk skirts and a sash of tulle over one shoulder. Very Sunday best - but nice enough to wear on any day of the week.

'We'll lose British supermodels if New York bullies us'

The head of one of London's big model agencies today warned Britain would stop producing supermodels if New York succeeded in "bullying" the capital's fashion week down to four days.

Carole White, co-founder of Premier Models, said: "Hugely successful household names like Agyness Dean and Kirsty Hume, who are out there on the international stage, only got there because London Fashion Week gave them the platform. "If the week is shortened, it won't be commercially viable. Designers won't come, the fashion watchers won't come, the top models won't come and the girls starting out will just drop off the radar. It will be a disaster for everyone, the whole industry globally, if New York gets its way. So many big designers, such as Alexander McQueen, started out in London."

She added: "The fashion industry brings huge amounts of money to Britain, we're the country's seventh largest employer, and London Fashion Week is like our Olympics. Squeezing it to just a few days is like trying to hold the 2012 Games in half the time - ridiculous. I hope New York and Milan start talking some sense at this emergency meeting."

Emergency talks held by the British Fashion Council this week - and including Topshop billionaire Sir Philip Green - will attempt a fightback. But the likelihood is that London's event will be reduced to four days.

There are even fears leading buyers, models and fashion editors will skip London, going straight from New York to Milan.